Page 66 of Blitz'd

He pauses his motion like he’s been caught doing something, but arches a brow.

“Hm?”

“You owe me—” He tenses, his lips parting like he’s about to say something. “But I’m fucking tired tonight. Tomorrow. My place.”

Tomorrow. I could pull myself out of whatever this shit is by tomorrow and have him on his knees for me, underneath me.

Where he belongs.

“Okay.”

“I should?—”

“But I think you should stay for a while. If you sneak out now, you might get caught.” He twists on the bed before I have a chance to argue, pressing us chest to chest, so I can feel the way his heart is pounding just as hard as mine is.

Stay.

He wants me to stay… without the implications of sex, or desire, or any kind of motive other than…

“Fine.” I snap the word like he offended me, and his expression goes soft again.

Shit, I can’t look at him. More, I can’t stand the way he looks at me—like I’m transparent. Like he can see through me. Like he doesn’t care that all the room inside me is empty shadows, because it just leaves space for his light.

I push him over roughly, and he lets out a small shocked sound when I manhandle him so his back is plastered to my front and I can throw one arm around his waist.

“Kerian, are you?—”

“Put a movie on your phone or something before I change my mind.”

He’s still for a breath, then he pulls his phone up, propping it on his bedside table after he turns on some dumbass superhero film. It doesn’t really matter. My fingers slip beneath his shirt and trail up… up… up to the steady beat of his heart.

Up… and I bury my nose against his hair.

Zander smells clean and warm. And I’m not sure why, but when he wriggles his body back until he’s flush against me and raises one hand to press his fingers to mine through the fabric of his shirt, I feel myself settle.

I’m usually keyed up after a surprise run-in with my family—angry, violent, horny. I don’t feelsettledafter, and I sure as shit don’t relax.

I definitely don’t sleep for a few days.

But Zander starts talking in a soft voice, his soothing tone rambling something about the casting choices for the movie he put on, and I fall into the sound of it.

I’m not sure when it happens, but my head drops to his shoulder so I can bury my nose against the curve of his neck as I drift off.

Fuck me, I’m in trouble.

ChapterTwenty-One

ZANDER

Something ticklesmy nose as I slowly blink my eyes open. A mass of blond hair clouds my field of vision.

A smile tugs up my lips as I listen to the light snores of Kerian. He’s sprawled on his back, almost on top of me, his head facing away.

Without jostling him, I move from under him, looking down at his face while he sleeps. He’s so handsome. No scowl or cynical expression. He doesn’t look younger per se, but hedoeslook relaxed.

Reaching up, I push his hair back from his forehead. It’s rare that I see his entire face, his blond locks usually hiding his eyes. Not now. He’s vulnerable. Vulnerable and comfortable. My bed is tiny, barely able to handle both of us, but he looks like he belongs here.

With me.

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